Customer Reviews

Then! Live in Tokyo

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A second live release from Allan Holdsworth in one year. This one, however was recorded in 1990, 12 years (to the day) before All Night Wrong. I'd hate to compare the two, because the bands were quite different (Then! is a quartet and ANW features a trio) and each features a completely different set list.

Steve Hunt (keyboards; Stanley Clarke, Mahavishnu Project) uses many of Allan's synth patches and plays many of the Synthaxe parts that Allan originally played on the studio versions of some of these tunes. Steve does a commendable job filling Allan shoes keeping the chording consistent with the originals. Thus, he allows the master to experiment with his Bill Delap Baritone guitars, a breath-taking event! Jimmy Johnson (bass; Flim and the BB's, James Taylor and a host of others) holds down the bottom in his own unique fashion. He gets a few chances to jump into the spotlight and shine. Gary Husband' drums sound huge. He plays with such intensity and control. Any student drummer would be well advised to check this out.

The tunes, nine in all, cover a large spectrum of Allan's career. Proto Cosmos, a Tony Williams Lifetime favorite, is given a rousing performance. Atavachron is simply elevated to another level, which I feel blows away the original. White Line, sans Paul Williams vocals, is wonderfully reconstructed with Allan playing the vocal lines with much more emotion than any vocalist ever could, beautiful. Pud Wud features a brilliant bass solo from Jimmy Johnson, playful and intricate. My favorite moment on the track. Steve Hunt's synth work really comes alive on this tune, as well. House of Mirrors, slowly builds with a gorgeous melody and soft suspended notes cascading and drifting. This is one of Allan's most emotive solos I've heard. Non-Brewed Condiment rocks and pushes the band with muscular drumming and wild soloing.

The improvs, Zone's I, II and III, are phenominal examples of exploration. Each piece is interspersed throughout the CD, beginning, middle and end. They take the listener to uncharted territory, on the spot creations of what only highly skilled musicians can achieve. These tracks are not for the weak of heart nor short attention spans. The push and pull of each instrument creates tension, not to fight for the spotlight, but to add splashes of color onto a spectacular work of art. Curious and inspirational.

This is not a starting place for Allan's work. This one requires some previous exposure to Allan's music. It is a facsinating look at what can be done, on stage, by one of music's most enigmatic guitarists, as well as a snapshot of musical history.

PS: Be sure to have a pint of your favorite ale whilst listening, to salute the master.

This album captures a 1990 performance when Holdsworth toured with one of the world's most talented electric jazz quartets, including master drummer Gary Husband, bassist Jimmy Johnson, and keyboardist Steve Hunt (Stanley Clarke/Mahavishnu Project). What's unique about this record are alternate arrangements, its audiophile recording quality, and particularly the three improv pieces or "Zones" featuring Holdsworth blistering and growling on a huge baritone electric guitar. Some of Holdsworth's solos on this record are unforgettable--and even with some of the lighter moments "Pud Wud" -- the interplay between the band members is at once loose and locked in. This is instrumental rock, jazz, fusion--call it what you will, but Holdsworth has an approach to the guitar and sound that is one of the most revolutionary of all time, and this is a rare "official" live recording produced and mixed by Holdsworth, after he let it sit in the vaults for a dozen years -- a must have for both the guitar connoisseur and anyone who appreciates Holdsworth's monumental talent.

Somehow AH found himself stuck between two worlds, where the jazz purists disparagingly refer to him as 'progressive rock', and the rockers miss their favorite cliches.....The problem for those camps is that their attitudes are keeping them from enjoying the greatest lead,(jazz -or- rock), guitarist of the last thirty years or more. Head and shouders above the next best, if you have the ears to hear.

Well, this is a special cd. Released in 2004, the recording took place in May of 1990 in Japan. There's an unbelievably strong chemistry among the band members of this touring quartet, none of whom played together as a group on any of the studio albums from which the music for this concert was culled.

Gary Husband's drumming is phenomenal - interesting, jazzy, driving, and right up front in the recording mix. Jimmy Johnson's bass is like an additional guitar soloist on many of the songs, just all over the place. Keyboardist Steve Hunt helps to keep some rhythmic sanity in those moments when Husband is soloing and improvising, and he also provides the band a nice full sound with additional soloing - he even uses some synthaxe (or synthaxe sounds on the keyboard) to augment the fullness of the band and stay true to the original feel of some of the compositions.

Then there's Allan Holdsworth. He's at the top of his game here on this recording. If you're reading this review on a relatively obscure album of his, then you don't need me to tell you how great his sound and technique is. He just kills on this cd.

Song selections include Proto-Cosmos, White Line, Atavachron, Pud Wud, House of Mirrors, Non-Brewed Condiment and three improvised selections spread throughout the album called Zones (which all feature a baritone electric guitar). The playing and execution is tight and true, but different enough from the original studio versions to make this a very worthwhile purchase. (The "Zones" are O.K., not great. But they ARE new and unique! They're growing on me.)

Finally, rest assured that the recording and production quality is great. If you've seen other reviews by me, you know that's important to me. The original source tapes were "extremely high quality, digital 24-track" tapes (according to the liner notes), and Holdsworth himself was involved in the mixing and mastering of all tracks.

AH is one of my very favorite guitarists, from his playing with Tony Williams, Soft Machine, Gong, Ponty, Bruford and U.K., right on through to his own great solo stuff. Here, he inspires his whole band to shine on one great piece after another.

Superlatives fail to define his greatness. I highly recommend this cd.

I value interesting music that is played and recorded well. This cd's rating was based on:
Music quality = 9/10; Performance = 9.5/10; Production = 9.5/10; CD length = 10/10.
Overall score weighted on my proprietary scale = 9.3 ("5 stars")

Incredible sound and performance. This is a more hectic, aggressive side to Holdsworth live performance than most listeners will be used to. Excellent and recommended.

A true masterpiece. An awesome performance and record of the music created by one of the best groups playing Fusion of our time, my life was worth it after hearing THIS!

This live recording from the Allan Holdsworth Group circa 1990 features intense playing and audiophile sound quality. Gary Husband (drums) and Jimmy Johnson (bass) sound especially good on this release, laying down deep and ferocious grooves throughout, most notably on "Proto Cosmos" and "Non-Brewed Condiment". The "Zones" are a real treat too; keep in mind that all three "Zones" are group improvs, not written pieces, then listen to how well each band member compliments what the others are doing. These guys have big ears! Quite marvelous, really.

I believe Mr. Holdsworth has had better nights on a few of the tunes, and I wish he'd put himself a little higher in the mix, but the fabulous rhythm section and superlative group interplay earn this baby five stars. Check it out.

This is the first live Holdsworth I've found containing "Non Brewed Condiment". It's the highlight of the CD AND he plays it on electric guitar instead of SynthAxe which is a treat! Sound production is solid. I would have given this 5 stars had it not been for the limited tracks and a couple of the selections would not have been my first choice. But a must for all Holdsworth heads.

Awsome! The man is simply the best of the best. Holdsworth, Husband, Johnson, and Hunt are a tight group here. The classisc are here White Line, Atavachron, Pud Wud, House Of Mirrors & Non-Brewed Condiment. I just wish this was a double disc with the other show on it with more of the classics. But Holdsworth live 1990 is better than nothing. Heck, it's about as good as it gets.

This has to be the most mediocre album in the history of music. This album copletely sucks! It sounds as if it was recorded in a dark basement with 3 people as audience. I wouldn't even give it 1 star.